The Bloomberg Intelligence (BI) report suggests that helicopter deliveries, which have fallen this year, are expected to rebound in 2025, driven primarily by increased orders at Airbus and Leonardo. This growth is attributed to rising oil prices, boosting demand for offshore twin-engine helicopters, which are higher-margin models. Airbus is already benefiting from this trend. Additionally, defense demand, fueled by the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, is expected to increase, especially for European manufacturers.
While 2023 has seen a sharp decline in twin-engine helicopter demand (down 30% through late August) and a 22.5% drop in total helicopter deliveries, specific sectors such as medevac, dedicated attack, and police helicopters are responsible for most of the shortfall.
George Ferguson, a senior aerospace and defense analyst at BI, highlighted that Airbus and Leonardo have seen rising backlogs and orders. Airbus reported 233 helicopter orders in the first half of 2024, compared to 131 in the same period last year, while Leonardo saw a significant increase in order value, from €2.8 billion in the first half of 2023 to €3.6 billion this year. European helicopter makers are expected to benefit from increased military spending, though supply-chain issues could hamper production rates.
Ferguson also noted that Airbus and Leonardo could see rising revenue and margins due to growing demand from the oil and gas industry and military sectors. However, manufacturers Bell and Sikorsky face different challenges. Bell has struggled with flight-test issues on its 525 offshore-support model and is more focused on corporate business, while Sikorsky remains primarily a military helicopter provider.
